• Maine’s strong defense suffocated Vermont’s shooters, holding them to a season-low 42 points.
• The Catamounts, known for their defense, struggled offensively all season, ranking 319th out of 355 Division I schools in points per game.
• The loss marked the end of Nick Fiorillo’s six-year career at Vermont, during which he won four America East championships.

Vermont basketball’s championship four-peat dreams are over. And so is the Catamounts’ long stranglehold over Maine.

Unable to handle Maine’s defensive pressure and suffering through one of its worst shooting performances of the season, second-seeded Vermont trailed from start to finish Tuesday night, falling to the No. 3 Black Bears, 57-42, in an America East tournament semifinal in front of 2,071 at Patrick Gym.

The Catamounts entered the conference playoffs in search of their fourth straight league championship and seventh NCAA Tournament berth in John Becker’s 14-year tenure. Instead, Vermont struggled from the opening tip and couldn’t close the deficit to under seven points in the second half.

“Tough loss and a tough way to end the season,” Vermont coach John Becker said. “It hurts that we just didn’t have it (Tuesday) and a lot of that credit needs to go to Maine.”

Kellen Tynes (13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks) and A.J. Lopez (12 points) led the Black Bears, who ended a 30-game losing skid to Vermont that dates back to 2013. The Black Bears will play at No. 1 Bryant in Saturday’s America East title game. Game time is 11 a.m. on ESPN2. The winner earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“That’s a great team. It’s hard to beat them, especially at their place,” said Tynes of playing Vermont.

Ileri Ayo-Faleye’s 14 points and six rebounds and Sam Alamutu’s eight points and 21 rebounds paced Vermont, which shot 14 of 54 from the floor, including 4 of 26 from beyond the arc.

Vermont also committed 17 turnovers, leading to 21 Maine points. The Catamounts (21-12) also saw its 10-game winning streak halted.

Maine’s defense suffocates Vermont basketball’s shooters

Maine jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a series of mid-range jumpers. Vermont, meanwhile, committed two early turnovers and looked uncomfortable against Maine’s man-to-man defense from the jump.

Even Jace Roquemore’s one-handed, high-flying dunk over a Maine defender couldn’t spark the Catamounts. The slam, with 9:14 left in the first half, brought the hosts to within 13-10, but Maine proceeded to uncork a 10-0 spurt highlighted by Jaden Clayton’s 3-pointer and Burns’ transition layup off a Catamount turnover.

Maine took a 27-19 margin into the break and quickly built a double-digit lead as Vermont racked up turnovers and missed field-goal attempts.

Vermont did close to 38-31 with 10:35 to go, but Lopez tossed in a heave inside the paint for two to ignite a 7-2 spurt to return the margin to double digits.

“We just stuck to the grind defensively,” said Maine coach Chris Markwood, a former assistant coach under Becker from 2011-2014. “Fortunately we were able to do that and proud of that effort and execution the guys showed.”

TJ Hurley, Vermont’s leading scorer this season, went 1 of 15 from the floor (0 of 7 on 3s). Ayo-Faleye also misfired from deep, hitting just two of his 10 3-point attempts.

The 42 points were a season low.

“They just were really physical and they were just closing out to everyone and forcing us inside the 3-point line,” Becker said of Maine’s defense. In the spirit of trying to make a play and do something positive for the team, we didn’t make good decisions and we were trying to score and we kind of got away from what had been really working for us in the last month.”

Injuries, poor offense finally catches up to Vermont basketball

Senior guard Shamir Bogues, a first-team all-league selection along with Hurley, missed his third straight game Tuesday with a lower-body injury suffered on March 1. Bogues’ absence was felt, but it also summed up the Catamounts’ unfortunate injury luck that plagued them since the spring.

Vermont brought in transfer Shy Odom from Howard to help its frontcourt presence. Odom played a total of 19 minutes this winter. Last year’s leading scorer, TJ Long played in just eight games, and none since December.

And while he made 28 starts, Bogues had surgery in the fall to remove bone spurs and didn’t look 100% until later in the season — when he started to play at high level on both ends of the floor — before suffering another injury that ended up being a season-ender.

“For him not to be able to end his career at least on the floor — your heart breaks for that kid,” Becker said of Bogues. “He would’ve done anything to be on the court with his teammates.”

Not being full healthy and a lack of a bench hurt Vermont’s offense. And while its defense remained true to its core and tradition — top-ranked in America East and 15th in the country in scoring — Vermont was 319th out of 355 Division I schools in points per game.

“It’s been a grind all year offensively. It’s no secret it’s been our worst offensive team and there are a bunch of reasons for that and it reared its ugly head (Tuesday),” Becker said.

Becker said he expects Long will get an NCAA waiver and return to Vermont next season.

Fiorillo closes out sixth-year Vermont basketball career

After six years in Burlington, Nick Fiorillo played his last game for the Catamounts on Tuesday night. A member of four America East championship teams and three NCAA Tournament squads, Fiorillo earned a spot on all-league third team this winter after averaging career highs in points (10.4) and rebounds (5.0) per game and starts (28).

In Tuesday’s news conference, Fiorillo expressed the impact Vermont had on him as a player and person. Fiorillo went from walk-on to scholarship player.

“I’ve spent a quarter of my life here at this program. Teams can always say it’s a family and stuff, but this program it really is,” Fiorillo said. “Those aren’t coaches, those aren’t teammates — that’s family.

“These have been the best years of my life. I came in as a skinny kid who didn’t really know high-level basketball until I got here.”

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

Dublin the Fun

Sunday 16

The Burlington Irish Heritage Ceili at Burlington City Hall Auditorium kicks the St. Paddy’s Day vibe up a notch. Members of the McFadden Academy of Irish Dance step to sprightly tunes played by the Young Tradition Vermont Fiddleheads, while attendees join in the merrymaking with audience participation rounds and a lively group jam session. Bring your fiddles and flutes!

Men in Black

Friday 14

Known around the world as the definitive Johnny Cash tribute band Church of Cash arrive at Barre Opera House to remind us why. Commanding front man Jay Ernest brings the booming timbre and raw, resonant vocals, while his bandmates capture the country legend’s spirit through sound — just one of many reasons the group was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

Frost Bites

Friday 14 & Saturday 15

The annual Hotel Vermont Ice Bar returns to Burlington for a 13th year of frosty, fun-filled festivities. Chilled-out party people nosh on snacks, grab craft drinks from intricately sculpted outdoor bars, get creative in the photo booth, engage in friendly ice games and dance their mittens off to tunes spun by DJ Cre8.

Masters of Madcap

Opens Friday 14

Su Reid-St. John directs the Shelburne Players in an adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s zany, fast-paced 18th-century comedy The Servant of Two Masters at Shelburne Town Center. Expect a hybrid of traditional Italian commedia dell’arte and postmodern vaudeville, uniting the slapstick physicality of Charlie Chaplin with the comedic wit of Woody Allen.

Get in Gear

Saturday 15

Love roller derbies? How about 19th century-inspired retrofuturistic fashion? Then this is the event for you! The Steampunk Skater’s Ball at Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction has all of the above, with goggles on. Partygoers don gadgets, gizmos and gears to delight in hors d’oeuvres, bid in a silent auction and boogie the night away — all to benefit the Upper Valley’s own Twin State Derby.

Sizzling Septet

Saturday 15

Finland’s first-rate musical export Frigg comes to Vermont State University’s Alexander Twilight Theatre in Lyndon to lift spirits with captivating, feel-good tunes. Named after the Norse goddess of motherhood and marriage, the septet has carved out its own genre of music — “Nordgrass” — which seamlessly fuses Nordic folk and American bluegrass for a striking sound.

Spring Awakening

Ongoing

Artistree Community Arts Center’s “MUD (season)” exhibit in South Pomfret ushers in the eagerly anticipated thaw with a showcase of works by more than 60 Vermont and New Hampshire artists. Viewers take in cautiously optimistic signs of spring such as running sap, rutted roads, rousing birds and bears, and everyone’s favorite hopeful harbinger — melting snow.

• The Vermont Catamounts women’s basketball team secured a decisive 62-45 victory against the Bryant Bulldogs in the America East semifinals.
• Vermont’s win marks their third consecutive appearance in the America East championship game, setting the stage for a matchup against the top-seeded Albany Great Danes.

Vermont women’s basketball won the opening tip and took control. Catherine Gilwee drove into the paint and nailed a jumper from just inside the free-throw line.

That was just the start of one of her best games of the season.

Gilwee’s team-high 16 points was more than enough as No. 2 Vermont women’s basketball cruised to a 62-45 win over No. 3 Bryant in the America East semifinals at Patrick Gym.

“I saw my first shot go in and it just gave me a lot of confidence to keep shooting,” Gilwee said. “The more you see go in, obviously the more you want to shoot.”

With the win Vermont (20-12, 14-3) booked its third straight trip to the America East championship game.

The Catamounts will take on top seeded Albany in the America East final on Friday at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Bryant brought its band, cheerleaders and dance team to Burlington and they made Patrick Gym louder than usual. The Bulldogs’ loud student support cheers of “Defense” were easy to hear made it feel like tournament time.

“We want (a) championship atmosphere, even on home sites,” Vermont coach Alisa Kresge said. “It felt like you were sometimes in a neutral (site) and then the Vermont crowd was like you guys are being loud, we’re going to be louder.”

Gilwee, a redshirt junior, scored 11 of Vermont’s first 13 points on 5 made field goals. Gilwee’s scorching start helped Vermont build a 15-6 lead.

The Catamounts lead swelled to 21-10 at the end of the first quarter as they appeared to not have the same nerves that plagued them in the quarterfinals.

Gilwee’s 16 points led all scorers and set a new season high. She also dished out four assists.

Bryant (17-14, 9-8) never recovered from its slow start in the program’s first-ever America East semifinal.

Besides the dominant offensive output, the Catamounts have been stellar on the defensive end during this playoff run. Vermont has held their opponents to a max of 15 made field goals in two straight games.

The Catamounts controlled the glass, finishing with 33 total rebounds compared to Bryant’s 19.

Anna Olson led the Catamounts with 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end making her presence known there after just scoring 4 points.

“I don’t really care if I score,” Olson said. “I just want to do my role to the best of my abilities. I had a tough match up with Nia Scott. My mindset going into this game was I need to stop her. If I can stop her from scoring I’m going to equate that to scoring a point.”

The Catamounts have a deep roster where any player in its seven-women rotation can contribute double-digit points on any given night. Three other Catamounts joined Gilwee to cross double figures: Sarah Ericson (11 points), Nikola Priede (10 points) and Keira Hanson (10 points).

Now Vermont sits one game away from making it to its second NCAA tournament appearance in three years.

“We’re really really lucky to have amazing people in all aspects of our program from our administration to our players to our support staff and everyone’s so bought in,” Kresge said. “And that’s what’s really special about Vermont as a whole, our community, everyone really cares about each other.”

Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.